New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has told the New Zealand Herald that she will attend the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum in October regardless of whether Fiji's Interim Prime Minister is there or not, and she has no intention to talk to him.
"I will be there. I have invested a lot of time and effort, over close to 8 years in the Pacific Island Forum, and there is a lot of business to do"
Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer earlier said that Commodore Bainimarama won't be welcome at the Forum while Clark said that Bainimarama will be treated like a "leper", if he shows up.
But Bainimarama has also made it clear after the two leaders outbursts that he will attend the Forum meeting and if the two leaders do not want to see him, then they do not have to be in Tonga.
Meanwhile, Tonga has extended an invitation to the Interim Prime Minister Commodore Bainimarama to attend the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum in October defying Australia and New Zealand who lobbied for his exclusion.
Tonga's Information Minister Afu'alo Matoto said that his government has sent official invitations "without discrimination to all leaders" of the 16 member Pacific Islands Forum.
Helen Clark to Ignore Bainimarama
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